Boy lost at Taste goes unclaimed

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Boy lost at Taste goes unclaimed
July 8, 2006
BY ANNIE SWEENEY AND LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporters






He came in like the more than 70 other children who have been separated from their families at Taste of Chicago this year.

But instead of being found by a frantic parent and whisked away, the 6-year-old boy stayed and stayed inside the "Lost Children" tent, where he "sat patiently" for four hours, according to police reports.

But no one ever came.

That was eight days ago, on June 30 about 2:30 p.m.

"I was surprised. He came in probably halfway through my shift, and when I left" two hours later "he was still there," according to a source at the Taste. "Usually you have parents, kind of frantic coming to get these kids, an hour tops, but no one came."

Since he was found, no one has reported the boy missing or called police to check on his whereabouts, said Monique Bond, Chicago Police Department spokeswoman.

"The only information we have had has been provided by the child,'' Bond said.

The boy remained in the custody of state authorities Friday while police tried to find his mother.

"He'll be confronted with this for the rest of his life,'' said Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris. "From that perspective, it's a sad thing.''

DCFS had past contact with mom

The boy's mother had contact with authorities in 2003, and records indicate she was overwhelmed and needed help raising the boy, who has spent some time in foster care, according to state child-welfare reports.

The reports say the child was put into foster care in April 2003 after the mother allegedly called authorities to report she had locked herself in a room so she wouldn't hurt him. He was returned to his mother in September 2004 after she had received counseling and classes, the reports say.

Then in September 2005, she allegedly left the child alone, which led to a report to Chicago Police for endangering the life of a child.

Kendall Marlowe, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, confirmed that the agency had previous contact with the boy's family, including substantiated allegations of neglect, and that DCFS was still providing supportive services to the family.

The child was taken into DCFS custody July 1, a day after he was found at the Taste, Marlowe said.

He is one of 72 children who have gotten lost at the Taste so far this year. All but him were reunited with family, police said.

asweeney@suntimes.com



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